Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-04-29
AGRICULTURAL.
Changing seed improvement OF
seed Corn.

seed COrn.
Changing seed from one locality 10 onoth-
err, especially the seed of grain, is frequent
" recommended. There is an old idea cur
rent among farmers that simply changing
the seed will tend 10 increase the yield. 1t
would be difficult to give any reason why
this should be the fact, provided there was
no change in the variety, nor improvement
in the quality Of the seed sown. Why should
grain Of the same kind and quality as that
grown ON the farm, obtained from a neigh
boring town or from another part Of the
same town. be more productive on II soil of
equal fertility, simply from being sown
few miles from the place where it was rails
ed If we got the same variety that had
been grown ON the farm, from an adjoining
town or even from distant state we should
expect about the same results under like
circumstances, as with the old grain. II
we got grain of poorer quality from anoth
err locality we should probably lose by the
change The yield from a better quality
of seed should be greater We can see lit
tie reason for making change with the
expectation that seed which is in no respect
better will yield more away from the place
where it was raised, but seed improved
from year to year by the selection of the
best will be likely to give an increasing
yield though sown continuously in the same
locality. On the contrary, the seed of any
plant that is carelessly selected for a series
Of years will be quite sure to deteriorate,
whether it is grown for the whole time up
ON the same farm or not. The difference
in the condition of the soil, and its variable
character, might easily give rise to the be
lief that merely changing one kind of seed
for the same kind and quality from anoth-
err place, greatly increases the crop This
opinion appears to be held by the prolific
author and newspaper correspondent, Ben;
Perley Poore, who says in his Farm Talks
in the American Cultivator:
Now is a good time for farmers to look
to the question of change of seed. Nege-
tation, as well as animals, deteriorates un-
less prevented by the watchful and scen-
tifc attention of man. Wheat, oats, corn
and potatoes need frequent change of loca-
ton more than change to another kind of
seed. Grain grown in the cold atmosphere
and clay soil of Canada, northern New
York or Vermont, when taken to the warm
err soils and atmosphere of the Middle or
Western states produces far more mXu-
riantly than seed sown in the same soil for
dozen years. 1t is the general remark
that wheat it failing and yielding less to
the acre every year, even where new and
virgin soil is used. Change of location is
what is wanted Nor is it necessary that
the change should be so great in distance
Tho transfar of caaI faNu tnilns from ono
variety of soil to another often makes a
very perceptible Difference. Now is the
time to attend to this 1t may not Toe ne
cessary for the farmer to travel so far but
that he may return home at night, and
make an exchange with farmer and both
be equally accommodated In some cases
it may be done by letter, and the transfer
he made by railroads. Ten or forty cents
additional for freight will be more than
twice made up in the increased yield. But
generally the increase in quantity is not
the main advantage. The improvement in
quality more generally attends change of
seed If this matter is attended to III time,
it can be done well and economically
When seed is changed to a climate very
different from that where it was grown, it
may he better, or not as good rs the native
grown seed. Southern seeds are not usual
ly as good in our climate as northern grown
seeds; but seeds of plants for which our
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